Mexican Cornbread Casserole is an easy family dinner made with seasoned ground beef, Rotel tomatoes, sweet corn, melted cheddar cheese, and a golden Jiffy cornbread topping. This hearty casserole is packed with Tex-Mex flavors and comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.
I love this casserole because it’s a complete meal in one pan. The cheesy beef filling and fluffy cornbread topping make every bite comforting and satisfying, and it’s always a hit with both kids and adults. 🌽🧀
Why I Love Cornbread Casserole
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: Lean ground beef works best for this casserole. Be sure to drain any excess grease after browning to keep the filling from becoming too oily.
- Cream-Style Corn and Frozen Corn: Using both gives the casserole the perfect balance of creamy texture and sweet corn flavor. Fresh or canned corn can be substituted for the frozen corn if needed.
- Rotel Tomatoes: Rotel adds tomatoes and green chilies in one can, giving the casserole a mild Tex-Mex flavor. Use mild or hot depending on your preference.
- Taco Seasoning: Taco seasoning adds all the classic Mexican-inspired flavors. Homemade or store-bought seasoning both work well.
- Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded cheddar melts better than pre-shredded cheese and gives the casserole the best texture.
- Jiffy Cornbread Mix: Jiffy creates a light, fluffy cornbread topping that bakes beautifully over the beef mixture.
- Eggs and Milk: These ingredients are mixed with the cornbread mix to create the topping. Whole milk gives the richest flavor, but 2% milk works just as well.
- 💙 Optional Toppings: Serve with sour cream, sliced jalapeños, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, green onions, salsa, or crushed tortilla chips for extra flavor and crunch. 🌽🧀🌮
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How Top Make Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a 10” cast iron skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the cream-style corn, frozen corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel), and taco seasoning to the skillet with the ground beef. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until well combined and heated through. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
- In a separate bowl, prepare the Jiffy cornbread mix by combining it with the eggs and milk. Stir until just combined.
- Pour the cornbread batter over the ground beef mixture in the cast iron pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or green onions, enjoy!
Tips I Found Helpful
- Brown the ground beef completely and drain any excess grease before adding the remaining ingredients to keep the casserole from becoming greasy.
- Don’t thaw the frozen corn first—it will cook perfectly while the casserole bakes.
- Use freshly shredded cheddar cheese for the best melt and flavor. Mix the cornbread batter just until combined.
- Overmixing can make the topping dense instead of light and fluffy. Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the beef mixture so it bakes uniformly.
- Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving so it slices more easily.
- Top each serving with sour cream, salsa, avocado, jalapeños, green onions, or fresh cilantro for even more Tex-Mex flavor. 🌽🧀🌮
FAQs about Mexican Cornbread Casserole
More Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
Mexican Cornbread Casserole
This Mexican Cornbread Casserole is an easy family dinner made with seasoned ground beef, Rotel tomatoes, sweet corn, cheddar cheese, and a golden Jiffy cornbread topping. It's a hearty, one-pan meal that's packed with Tex-Mex flavor and perfect for busy weeknights or potlucks.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Can (14.75 Ounces) Cream-Style Corn
- 1 Cup Frozen Corn
- 1 Can (10 Ounces) Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (Rotel)
- 1 Packet (1 Ounce) Taco Seasoning
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Box (8.5 Ounces) Jiffy Cornbread Mix
- 2 Eggs
- ⅓ Cup Whole Milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a 10” cast iron skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the cream-style corn, frozen corn, diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel), and taco seasoning to the skillet with the ground beef. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until well combined and heated through. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
- In a separate bowl, prepare the Jiffy cornbread mix by combining it with the eggs and milk. Stir until just combined.
- Pour the cornbread batter over the ground beef mixture in the cast iron pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or green onions, enjoy!
Notes
Drain the ground beef after browning to keep the casserole from becoming greasy. Freshly shredded cheddar cheese melts best, but pre-shredded cheese can be used for convenience. Mix the cornbread batter just until combined to keep the topping light and fluffy. Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving so it's easier to slice. Finish each serving with sour cream, salsa, avocado, jalapeños, green onions, or fresh cilantro for even more Tex-Mex flavor. 🌽🧀🌮
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Very good and easy. Will make it again.
Sounds great. Want to make 1-2 skillets for a potluck Christmas party. Can it be made in a “9×13” casserole dish instead of the skillet version
yes